Fuzzy Images, a Nightcrawler fanfic

Chapter Sixteen / What's that thing called again? That thing you have?

[AN: Sorry this chapter is a little later than I usually do, my schedule was very busy today, but here it is now, I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to vote, comment, message, or just read.]

Kerri walked into the woods, her footsteps crunching through the snow, and pulled her hood up, over her damp hair. She was avoiding the gates and fences, knowing that the protesters were not close, but that they were there somewhere down the road. She didn't want to be around anyone, but that was hard with everyone having to stay in on a Friday.

She walked between the tree trunks and watched as the grey clouds gathered. They flowed together and around each other, splitting into new clouds. She sat on a tall tree root and watched them through the bare branches.

Kurt Bamfed, appearing a few feet away from Kerri and almost making her fall off of the tree root she was sitting on.

"Kerri, uh, vhat are you doing here?" Kurt asked, remembering that he wasn't supposed to seem like he was following her.

"Being alone. Or, I was..." she answered.

Kurt stood awkwardly for a moment before he stepped closer, "Is anyzhing wrong?"

Kerri looked back up to him, "No, why would you think that?"

Kurt's concern was heart felt now, "You look sad."

Kerri scoffed, showing more emotion than before, "How could you tell on my face made of stone?"

Kurt's heart throbbed, "Vhat do you mean?"

Kerri looked up at him, "Kurt, I'm not stupid, I know that I don't have a very expressive face. It's a defense mechanism."

Kurt was taken aback, "I, nein, you're not, aber..."

There was a sudden annoying sort of buzz-ringing sound, and Kerri covered her ears, with a look of distaste, "What is that horrible noise?!"

Kurt had to yell to be heard over the din, "It's zhe alarm, somevone must have jumped over zhe gate!"

"You mean, one of the protesters? I thought that no one knew there were mutants here?" Kerri asked, confused.

The alarm noise ended and there was a crunching noise a few feet away as a middle aged man fought his way out of a tangle of vines, "There are mutants here? I knew it! You're mutants, aren't you?! They said I was crazy!"

Kerri and Kurt looked at each other, startled, then back to the man. "You are crazy, there are no mutants here," Kerri told him with a straight face, but the man wasn't falling for it.

"You're lying!" He yelled, and it was obvious that he was disturbed in some way. Kerri became a little worried as the man pulled out a gun and waved it around, yelling, "Mutie scum!"

"Uh," her heart started beating faster and her pupils dilated, fight or flight was on the edge of kicking in, but she didn't want to do anything stupid and get Kurt hurt.

Kurt felt his blood racing through his veins, and his tail flicked, escaping his distracted control.

"I knew it!" The man shouted and swung his weapon around to Kurt.

Kerri felt her heart stop and her eyes widened, she had to save him. "Hey!" She tried, and succeeded, to get the man to look at her, the hand holding the weapon aimed towards her too. 'Something scary..' Her mind flowed slowly, 'big, hairy, wings, tail, claws, monster...' A half formulated image came into her head and she was about to shift when a sound stopped her, a voice.

Kurt called out, "Kerri!" She looked at him, a look that was half terror in her eyes. Kurt teleported next to her and threw his arms around her, teleporting away quickly, and then again, and again, trying to get away to safety.